I RECEIVED A DEGREE IN ART FROM THE UW, I love to take photographs, and
when I need to clear my head, I like to head over to explore two of the UW campus’
wild treasures: the Union Bay Natural Area and Washington Park Arboretum.

That’s about as much as I have in common with Art Wolfe, ’75. The West Seattle
native, who also holds a B.F.A. from the UW, is one of the greatest photographers of
our generation. He spends
most of his time traveling
the world taking photos for
a new book or teaching photography.
But when he returns
home for a break, he
will often trek over to the
Union Bay Natural Area and
Arboretum to enjoy the
peace and quiet, and to look
for the quieter images that
the rest of us miss at first
(or second) glance.

As Wolfe’s cover story
photo essay
shows, he sure knows how
to find them. Over the years,
he has gotten to know the
campus’ wild places quite well; as a painting student in the early 1970s, Wolfe would
hike there with his canvas and his paints to spend hours creating images. Today, the
area’s hold on him is strong as ever. “I’m from the Pacific Northwest, and I come
back to that area again and again,” he told me while enjoying some time in Seattle
over the holidays. “The scenes there are very complex. But there is so much life
there, right in our backyard. The quieter shots challenge you. I try to live in that moment,
slow it down, and really observe.”

Though he graduated from the UW in 1975, the University has an equally strong place
in his heart. That’s why, when I asked him to put together a special photo essay for our
readers in honor of the UW’s 150th anniversary, he was only too happy to oblige.

These wild areas speak to Wolfe—and to us—for more than just their natural
beauty. They resonate because they are part of the University of Washington, a place
that nourishes us with its stunning, gorgeous physical space as well as the mind-expanding
challenges we get in the classroom. It’s a place we are proud to call home.—Jon Marmor, ’94, is Managing Editor of Columns.